In the year 143, when their descendants had greatly increased,
they descended from the mountains, and took possession of certain
places in Hindústán, such as Karmáj, Pesháwar, and Shanúrán. The
Rájá of Láhore, who was related to the Rájá of Ajmír, resolved upon
preventing their inroads, so he sent against them one of his nobles,
in command of a thousand horse. The Afgháns advanced to meet
him, and slew many of the Hindús. After this the Rájá of Láhore
sent his nephew with two thousand horse and five thousand foot,
well fitted out, against the encroaching Afgháns. On this occasion
the people of Khilj and Ghor, and the men of Kábul, who were now
adorned with the glory of Islám, considered it their duty to assist
their countrymen, so they sent four thousand men to support them.
When they joined, the flag of resistance was unfurled. In the
course of five months seventy battles were fought with the infidels,
and in many of the fights the confederates were victorious. But
when winter brought up its forces, the infidels were unable to
endure, and were reduced to great misery, so they abandoned the
contest, and returned to their homes. When the winter was over,
the nephew of the Rájá of Láhore returned to the attack with a
fresh army. On this occasion, also, the men of Kábul and of Khilj
brought up their reinforcements. The armies met between Karmáj
and Pesháwar. Sometimes the infidels gave battle, and drove the
Musulmáns to the hills; sometimes the Musulmáns took the offen­sive,
and repulsed the infidels at the point of the sword. When the
rainy season came on, the infidels were anxious about the rising of
the waters of the Indus, so, without knowing whether they were
victorious or defeated, they retired to their homes. The men of
Kábul and Khilj also went home; and whenever they were ques­tioned
about the Musulmáns of the Kohistán (the mountains), and
how matters stood there, they said, “Don't call it Kohistán, but
Afghánistán; for there is nothing there but Afgháns and dis­turbances.”
Thus it is clear that for this reason the people of the
country call their home in their own language Afghánistán, and
themselves Afgháns. The people of India call them Patán; but
the reason for this is not known. But it occurs to me, that when,
under the rule of Muhammadan sovereigns, Musulmáns first came
to the city of Patná, and dwelt there, the people of India (for that
reason) called them Patáns—but God knows!

When the peace between the Rájá of Láhore and the infidel
Gakkhars ended in war, the Gakkhars formed an alliance with their
neighbours the Afgháns. The Rájá of Láhore made peace; and, to
put an end to contention, he ceded to them some districts of the
Lamghánát, and associated with them the tribe of Khilj, which, in
the infancy of the Afgháns, had settled in that desert (sahrá). The
conditions were, that they were to guard the frontier, and prevent
the armies of Islám from entering into Hindústán. The Afgháns
erected a fort in the Kohistán (mountains) of Pesháwar, which they
called Khaibar; and they took possession of the country of Roh.
During the ascendancy of the Sámánians, these (Afgháns and
Gakkhars) prevented them from doing any injury to the territories
of Láhore. This is why it was that the incursions of the Sámánians
from first to last were made by way of Sind and Bhátiya. Roh is
the name of a particular mountain, which extends in length from
Swád and Bajaur to the town of Siwí, belonging to Bhakar. In
breadth it stretches from Hasan Abdál to Kábul. Kandahár is
situated in this territory.

When the throne of Ghazní came to Alptigín, his general Subuk-tigín
made several attacks upon Lamghán and Multán, and carried
off many prisoners. Unable to endure these attacks, the Afgháns
applied in their extremity to Jaipál, the Rájá of Láhore, and com­plained
of Subuktigín's inroads. Jaipál was aware that the army
of Hindústán could not continuously occupy those parts, in con­sequence
of the extreme cold; so he consulted with the Rájá of
Bhátiya, and by his advice he called to his presence Shaikh Hamíd,
a man of great consideration among the Afgháns, and raised him to
the dignity of amír. Shaikh Hamíd in this way obtained possession of
the territory of Lamghán and Multán, and carried on the government
on his own behalf. Thus, at that date the Afgháns obtained an amír
of their own, and became people of importance. When Alptigín
was dead, and Subuktigín had succeeded him, Shaikh Hamíd thought
it advisable to avoid war; so he sent to Subuktigín a message,
saying: “You and I are both Musulmáns, and so there is a bond of
union between us. It will be a gracious and proper course, if you
will consider my people as your own, and give instructions to your
victorious forces, that when they attack the country of Hindústán,
they shall do no harm to us, your well-wishers.” Subuktigín,
through the exigencies of the time, agreed to their proposal. After
the death of Jaipál, Subuktigín, dealing in a friendly spirit with
Shaikh Hamíd, conferred on him the ikta' of Multán. Sultán
Mahmúd's course of action was different from his father's. He sub­dued
the Afghán tribes, put their leaders to death, and reduced the
people to a state of obedience and service.